A consumer may use the internet for a variety of reasons, such as shopping for items or reviewing items before making a purchase. The consumer may also use the internet to compare items from various competitors or stores as well as peruse reviews of certain items.
Although reviews and comments about a product may be available, this information is typically subjective and may not represent the views of a vast majority of people. Moreover, if a consumer has a bad buying experience, such as lengthy delays in obtaining the product or the consumer discovers the price he/she paid was more than if the product was purchased elsewhere, the consumer writing the review may negatively describe the product because of the bad buying experience even though the product may be satisfactory. In view of these scenarios, the reviews and other information about the product may not be helpful because other factors besides the product itself influence the consumers.
In addition to the consumer seeking information about the product and possibly the merchant, the merchant may also want information about the consumer, especially consumers likely to make purchases from the merchant. However, although the Internet usually allows consumers access to a wealth of information concerning products or services they are considering purchasing, the reverse is often not as easy. One way for a merchant to get information of a consumer is if the consumer writes a review or submits a comment to the merchant. However, without such an affirmative act by the consumer, the merchant often knows little if anything of its customer and even less of potential customers, particularly potential consumers who did not write a review or submit a comment. Because merchants and manufacturers typically lack sufficient information about consumers' likes and dislikes, it may be difficult to direct advertisements to the individuals likely to be interested or to make purchases.
Additionally, even if a consumer is interested in a product and this interest may be somehow calculated, websites often lack the ability to follow-through with the consumer to encourage the consumer to purchase a product or service. In a traditional brick and mortar store, a salesperson may be available to observe an interested customer and assist the customers with samples or answer any questions. In an internet or website setting, merchants typically lack the salesperson to observe any interested customers or to follow-through with them.
What is desired, therefore, is a system that identifies potential consumers to a product supplier. Another desire is a system that gives the product supplier an indication of the potential consumers so that the product supplier can send targeted information to these consumers. A further desire is a system that identifies potential consumers without the consumers needing to make any affirmative action in order to be identified as potential consumers. Yet another desire is system that provides objective information about a product. Still another object is a system that follows through with interested customers to enhance sales.